3 Hearts
by xBreezyMeadowsx
Summary: Willow is a Witch. A Werewolf. A Vampyre. Hard to believe, right? Improbable, not impossible. She just wants to be unbothered. But life has other plans. When a shipwrecked and wounded Warlock washes ashore, trouble soon follows. Is the Warlock to blame? Is he a victim too? Also, why is she falling for him? Doesn't she have enough man-meat to oogle?
1. Prologue

A/N: _This is the first time I'm publishing my writing in over a decade. Please bear with me. I have no set schedule for this.  
I will simply post when I feel a chapter is complete._

_Fair warning: I'm taking a few liberties with the supernatural elements. I.E. -Vampyres don't burn up in the sun and  
don't have to sleep during the day, though some might prefer to as sunlight causes intense headaches. -Werewolves  
can shift into large wolves (think GoT Direwolves or yes, Jacob from Twilight) at will but a full moon forces them, for one  
night, to shift into the monstrous werewolves you're thinking of (picture the Lycans from the Underworld franchise)._

_Also, any non-English I use, I am translating from Google Translate so blame Google if I'm wrong. :-)_

* * *

Life could finally begin for real. Or it was supposed to anyway. That's what the pair of siblings thought would happen. They had spent so long on the road, so much time consumed by the need for vengeance. Brother raising sister, a couple of punk brats in the eyes of mankind. Fuck what people thought. They'd been on their own for a long time, they didn't need anyone else. Except for Lexi, they needed her. Well, the brother needed her more than his sister.

A ringing phone broke the silence in the building. A once busy secondhand book shop, long since closed and abandoned after the owner passed away. The sibling duo had called it home for the last week or so, burning the paperbacks in the small fireplace at night for heat, using torn curtains as blankets.

"Answer the damn phone already!" The girl grumbled. At eighteen, she was as irritable as any other teenager, though it'd be advised not to piss her off. Unlike any other teenager, she could rip your throat out in the blink of an eye.

"I got it, I got it." Her brother grumbled, pulling his cell phone from the front pouch of his bag. He tapped the screen twice, putting it on speaker."Yeah?" He croaked.

"Baby?" Came a female's voice.

"Lex, why are you calling at," he checked the time, "two in the morning?"

"I found him." She said excitedly. Both siblings shot up from their makeshift beds, staring at the phone. "Baby, did you hear me? I said I found him. The new tracking spell worked. I know where he is."

"Text me his location. We're leaving now."

* * *

A man- well, a vampyre actually- sat tied to a chair in the middle of an abandoned warehouse. He struggled against his binds as he swore and threatened the two standing before him. Blood trickled from his mouth, nose and a cut above one eye.

"Guys, it's almost sundown. You need to finish this so we can go before the rest of the flying rats show up. His coven will come for him." Lexi urged the pair as she stood by the side door, watching for movement outside. "Roman!" She shouted, gaining his attention. The brother wiped his bloodied knuckles with a hankerchief as he turned to his girlfriend.

"WHAT?!" He roared. Lexi glared at him. "Sorry. What's wrong?" He said, calming down.

"We're running out of time. We have to get out of here soon." Roman nodded, turning to his sister who was busy pulling one of the vamp's fangs out with a set of pliers.

"Willow." He said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. She grunted, pushing him away. "Will." He grabbed her shoulder more forceably.

"No! I'm not done with him!" She screeched, swinging her foot as hard as she could into his shin.

"Ow! Goddamnit! You bitch!" He spit blood at her.

"How are you still talking?!" Willow picked a piece of lead pipe out of a pile of rubble and swung it like a baseball bat, slamming it right into his ribs.

"Do you have any idea who you're messing with?!" He struggled harder to free himself. "Do you know who I am?!"

"I know exactly who you are!" Willow grabbed his face, prying another fang out. "You're the one that killed our parents!" The man laughed.

"I've killed a lot of scum in my lifetime. You're gonna have to be a little more specific." He said sarcastically. Willow stepped back, letting Roman grab the vamp by his greying hair.

"You remember a little boy and his parents about nineteen years ago? It was the day after a full moon. They were coming home after a long night of the change. Your coven was scoping out their town. The family had no way of knowing the man fixing a flat on his truck was a threat. The dad, being the helpful sort, offered to lend a hand. You sank your teeth into his neck and tore a chunk out. The man's wife screamed and clutched her little boy close, trying to shield him from the sight. But then the others stepped out of the shadows. One of them pried the boy from his mother's arms but the kid sank his teeth into that vamp's arm. He managed to escape. His mom didn't. You tortured her and drained her of so much blood. Then left her to die on the side of the road."

"I remember that bitch. She was a witch. Turned three of my boys to ash with the wave of her hand. She got what she deserved." The vamp declared, a self-satisfied smirk showing through all the blood.

"She was my mother!" Roman yelled, shoving the vampyre's chest causing him to tip backwards. The chair crashed to the ground. Willow wiped the tears she had streaming down her face as she moved to crouch next to the vile creature. She spoke with eerie calm, soft and even.

"That witch didn't survive. Her little boy tried to save her but she was too far gone. She'd been pregnant, too. Strange, she wasn't due for some weeks but apparently she had a chemical reaction of sorts to the venom you injected when you sunk your fangs into her repeatedly. Ya know, she was supposed to have twins. Two little bundles of joy. Each literally half mom, half dad. Half witch... half wolf. But the poison that now coursed through her veins did something to her and the babies." Willow chuckled dryly, flicking a speck of dirt off her pants. "See, vampyre and wolf don't really mix. Not usually anyway. This... chemical imbalance that occured after the mom had survived her ordeal caused her to go into premature labor. The poor little boy had to watch as his mother gave birth to a stillborn. And then again. He wrapped his two little baby siblings in his parents' jackets as his mom sighed, her soul leaving her body. The boy didn't even have time to mourn his family because you and the rest of the sacks of shit you led, were making your way back, having destroyed the town and burned it to cinders. So, he grabbed what meager possessions he had with him and prepared to leave. Not even able to give his family a burial. But you know what happened?" Willow leaned closer, whispering in the creature's ear. "One of the babies started to cry." She set back, watching for a reaction. The vampyre raised an eyebrow. "Yeah! The little boy couldn't believe it either. He scooped her up and ran, not questioning how it was possible for the baby to survive. Eventually, he found a nice family that took him and his little sister in and they raised the pair as best they could. Witches and warlocks can usually handle a couple pre-pubescent half-breed wolves, but extenuating circumstances caused problems. Remember when I said wolf and vampyre don't mix well? Turns out in extremely rare cases, they do. The problem is, this makes a teenager almost impossible to control. Especially when that teenager only has one thought on her mind. You know what that thought is?" Willow and Roman hoisted the chair back to a seated position. "That thought is the unyielding need to find the vampyre that killed her father, her mother, and her sister. Her brother felt the same way. There would be no true start to their lives without closing the book on their tragic backstory. It took them a few years, but they finally found the bloodsucker who turned their world upside down. And now... revenge is nigh! Justice will be served. Brother?"

Willow turned to Roman, gesturing towards the victim. Roman grinned wickedly, his hands shifting and changing into long slender taloned fingers covered in rough fur. He screamed before plunging his hands into the vampyre's chest. With great force, he ripped the chest wide open, the vampyre wailing in agony. He threw the bone and guts he held across the floor as his hands returned to normal. Willow stepped up, leaning to the guy's ear once more.

"See you in Hell... Dad." She opened her mouth wide, fanges sprouting and sank them deep into his neck. As she ripped his jugular out, her hands gripped either side of the gaping wound and pulled. The sound of flesh ripping bounced of the walls of the hollow warehouse along with her grunts of effort. With one final tug, the last tendon of muscle snapped apart and the head went rolling along the floor. Willow and Roman looked at each other, heaving breaths. Roman pulled his sister into a hug, an almost relieved laugh escaping him.

"Guys! Guys! I hate to ruin the moment but we gotta go! Like, now! Run!" Lexi yelled as she ran towards them. Roman grabbed her hand, leading her to the back room where their car was just outside the emergency exit. "Will, come on!"

Willow rushed to follow them, stopping in the doorway. She turned back to look at the corpse once more. Banging and shouting quickly grew loud as the bay doors began being forced open.

"**_Flamma._**" She said, hurling a ball of fire across the room. It set the body ablaze, catching any trash and debris nearby. Roman called to her from the back door. Before she turned to leave, she felt like she was being watched. She looked up into the rafters but saw only darkness. She shrugged to herself and ran.

* * *

A pair of dark hooded demons stepped out of the darkest corner of the warehouse, watching the group of vampyres raging at the loss of their leader. They were unseen by the creatures, unheard as they conversed.

"What did I tell you, brother?" One gravelled, removing his hood to reveal a bald, deformed head. "She's the one." The other let out a dark snicker.

"Yes, you told me. But I had to be sure." The taller slowly pulled his hood back, letting his long black hair flow freely. "Taking the cloaking spell off him was the perfect way." He gestured at the pile of ash.

"Rumors were true. He does have the power. Did have it. Why did you let them kill him? He was your strongest, most loyal vampyre." The long-haired demon turned to his younger brother with a sadistic smirk.

"Vince was a means to an end, brother. I will groom another to take his place. That one," He points a crooked finger at the only vampyre not screaming or running around, he was simply scowling under his dark beard, pulling his mass of frizzed hair into a bun then crossing his arms over his chest. "He is not keening and wailing over the old fool's death. He can lead the coven in my name. Vince's job is done. I only need one hybrid like her to breed. And we can use him to acquire the girl." He focused on the young, brooding vampyre who felt eyes upon him and looked to their spot though he could not see them. He turned his attention back to the idiots as a blue haired vamp female started hanging off of him, seeking attention.

"How can you be sure she'll be so willing to help you succe-" A loud crack sounded as the younger demon was backhanded by his brother.

"Do not question me." He growled. "I don't need her willing, I just need her alive." He sent his brother away as he shifted into darkness and slithered to the roof. The demon stepped to the edge of the building, glaring into the distance where he could see a car speeding away. He spoke to the wind. "You should've left well enough alone, little one. I know who you are now. I will find you again. You will be mine. You will never... rest... in... peace."


	2. Chap 1: All Washed Up

_A/N: A little bit of an introductory chapter._

_Please keep in mind, what I write for lore may differ from the lore someone else writes about the same subjects._

* * *

Willow Reigns was happy. Or atleast, as happy as she could be in her life at that given moment. For most of her life, her and her older brother, Roman, never lived in one spot long. They spent her entire childhood fostered by a lovely family (of which her brother would later fall in love with the daughter). Roman chose to wait until her pre-teens to finally tell her the truth about what happened to their parents. After that, they were constantly on the move. Willow's obsession with finding the vampyre responsible for her never knowing her parents had them chasing down any coven they could find. They interrogated indiscriminately until Roman's girlfriend, Alexa, came up with a tracking spell that could work more efficiently. It took her years to perfect it but she learned, by using Willow's blood in the spell, she could track down immediate blood relatives. They had test it out by sending Roman away. He picked a place and waited for a call. After a couple minutes of waiting, his phone rang with his sister's face on the screen. She told him where the scrying stone landed, he switched the call to video chat and showed them where he was. He was exactly where the spell tracked him, right down to the intersection of two streets.

Sometime after finding who they were seeking- and making sure he'd never murder for thrills again- Roman, Alexa, and Willow tried to settle into normal life. That barely lasted three months before they were being attacked by every baddie imaginable. They moved. A few months in, more attacks. Move for six months, attacks. One year, attacks. One month, attacks. And so on. Somewhere in the years of defending themselves against evil, they learned why they were being targeted. Willow.

See, hybrids were fairly common all over North America. But a tri-breed? Rare. The rarist of rare apparently. So rare that even in a continent where inter-species relations was a completely normal thing to occur, someone hearing of a tri-breed sent rumors and speculations flying. Some characters just wanted to see one face-to-face, but the bad ones... they were out for a bounty.

Forget what you've heard about Satan. The real devil is a ridiculously powerful demon that goes by The Undertaker. It's said that he's the real leader of all creatures nasty and vile. Satan is just his bitch. He's referred to by some as a God, by some as a Lord. He is the one true leader of all creatures the humans think are myth and fairytale. But he's old. Milennia old. When he was young and spry, everything was black and white, clear cut, good versus evil, humans versus creatures and the creatures were winning. But somewhere along his reign, he was defeated by a creature not of his making. This monster for good was born from experiments and studies done by rebellious creatures who were done being treated like slaves and the humans that refused to be nothing but a food source to the things that bumped in the night.

One brave soul, allowed scientists to inject blood and other matter into their body. The blood came from the three most powerful creatures that were not a direct spawn of The Undertaker, whom he could sense and track. A Warlock turned good helped the humans, donating his own blood as well as his vast knowledge of the dark side. They captured a werewolf during a full moon and a vampyre at three a.m. on All Hallow's Eve when the creatures were at their most powerful. They proceeded to drain them of their blood, shave their fur and hair, pull out their fangs, do whatever they could thing of to acquire the results they wanted.

After they had created who they hoped would be the most powerful monster The Undertaker couldn't control, they released him upon the hordes of evil. When he had demolished a large portion of the armies, Undertaker was forced to take matters into his own hands. The pair fought in a battle to end all battles and The Dark One was defeated. To avoid death, Undertaker went into hiding, licking his wounds and biding his time for when he could rise again. The monster of good went on to live a peaceful albeit strange life ending in a tragic accidental death of a villager. He was murdered by a mob who took the mistake as a sign he had become that which he defeated.

Eventually, The Undertaker was strong enough to rebuild his following. But smart enough to do things differently. Rumors began circulating over the centuries, tales of a creature with the body of a man, fur of a beast, wings of a bat, and ability to form fireballs out of thin air. Undertaker's younger brother, Kane, insisted these stories weren't stuff of myth and legend. While his big brother continued to grow his population and take control here and there, Kane threw himself into tracking down the creature that had almost killed his brother. He discovered instead, the original beast was dead but was survived by children. Children forced to flee, seperate, and go into hiding after their father's death to avoid the same fate. Kane tracked the bloodlines through time hoping to one day find a monster again, one they could use to strengthen his brother's army and lead them to rule everything, not just the shadows.

When Willow was found, The Undertaker let his minions know they would be handsomely rewarded for bringing her to him alive. Despite wanting her, he didn't dare try to collect her himself. Though he'd never say it outloud, he feared her, feared her power. Feared if they were to engage in battle, he would lose again, possibly for good this time. He wanted her to be weakened before he attempted to lay a hand on her.

Over their travels, Willow's small group grew. Like themselves, there were good beings out there, creatures just trying to live normal lives on the side of right. As they would settle in new locations and rumors would spread again, the good ones also sought the trio out. But they were looking for friends, not glory and riches. After several moves, it seemed the ragtag group had finally found a place they could call home. Strength in numbers meant strength in magick as well. Better wards put in place, better cloaking, better spells to mask their true selves around anyone they wish to hide from. They settled in a small town by the ocean. They built their own homes out of stone and wood in a big forest next to a quaint beach, hooded by a small mountain on the north side. They made their own little village, their own community in a town they hoped to call home.

* * *

"Roman! Drew! Come here!" Willow shout down the beach at the pair of buff, long haired men that were climbing on the jetty that divided their small section of beach with the rest of the Atlantic ocean. She crouched down next to the body laying in the wet sand, the water drifting around his legs and bare feet, back and forth into the ocean. "So Handsome... who are you?" She whispered, intrigued as she brushed a lock of matted-up sand-filled brown hair from his face. The man was clearly unconscious but alive judging by his unresponsiveness and shallow rise and fall of his chest. He wore black pants and a black t-shirt. Willow could see a crudely bandaged gash on his side where his shirt was ripped and he had tattoos covering most of his body.

"Is it a mermaid?" Her brother joked as he came up behind Willow. In contrast to her pale skin, her brother was darker skinned (a result of their mother previously dating a Samoan wolf and getting pregnant before imprinting on Willow's English father). He had long jet black hair that constantly looked wet and a well-manicured beard. He had a large tattoo covering his full right arm and pec. It always took a lot of explaining before anyone would believe they were siblings.

"Come on, Roman. That's clearly a guy. MerMAN. Jeez." Drew chastised, smacking his friend on the arm. The taller of the men spoke with a Scottish brogue. He was tanned, also sporting long hair though his was dark brown and softer. He had an ample amount of body hair and his beard was short but scruffy which was how Willow preferred him. "He's not a merman though, no scales and he has clothes on. Obviously, he's a pirate." He smirked, both men snickering at their jokes. Willow sighed heavily and stood, turning to face the two bigger men. Her glare quickly silenced the pair with Drew looking down in submission.

"Would one of you idiots just pick him up and take him to the med hut?" She put her hands on her hips.

"I got him, sis." Roman said softly, kissing his sister's temple as he passed her, his silent apology for cracking jokes at an inappropriate time. "Ember can get started on cleaning that nasty wound. Lexi is out picking herbs and flowers in the valley by the mountain. I'll run and get her after I drop him off, she forgot her cell phone." He eased the man into his arms, carrying him bridal style as he set off at a light jog towards the village. Willow looked over at Drew.

"Is that a stick in your hand?" She asked her mate who quickly whipped the object in question behind him into the sea. Drew feigned confusion.

"Huh? What? I don't have anything in my hands." He smiled.

"What have I told you about playing fetch with your sister?" Willow rolled her eyes as the large Scotsman wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"I know, I know. But she likes it." He whistled loudly earning a bark from an unseen place. Within seconds, a brown wolf came barreling from behind the jetty, tongue lolling to the side, tail wagging spastically. It stopped in front of the pair.

"Nikki, please stay away from the jetty. I don't want you to get hurt again. Okay?" Willow chuckled when the young wolf sneezed in response. She scratched behind the canine's ear before motioning for her to run free. They watched as she raced through the trees and leapt over a fallen oak. Her body began shifting and contorting and upon landing, she was now a woman. Her long brown hair blowing in the breeze as she spun in circles, bare naked.

"Oh, Christ. PUT SOME CLOTHES ON, YA NUDIST!" Drew hollered at his younger sister who flipped him off before skipping in the direction of her cabin. Willow giggled.

"Gotta love her."

"She's my sister... I'm obligated to love her." Drew grumbled though Willow knew he didn't mean it. Drew loved his sister deeply and would do anything to protect her. Willow leaned up on her toes, giving him a kiss on his neck earning a hum of appreciation.

"Grab the cooler, would ya? Becky needs the fish for dinner." She motioned behind them as she picked up the fishing gear she had wrecklessly discarded after moving down the beach and finding the body. Drew grunted, collecting the large blue cooler that had been sitting in the sand.

"Becky's Irish fish stew tonight? Yum." Drew licked his lips, feeling himself already salivating at the thought. "How many did you catch, babe? Thing weighs a ton." They walked side by side along the path home.

"Like, fifteen? We have thirty mouths to feed. And you know the Fiend and Balor eat enough for six people. I swear, bottomless pits. It's just plain cheaper to catch it than buy it at market." Her mate chuckled.

"Bray, it makes sense but Finn? I want to know where that little ripped leprechaun puts it all." Willow let out a hearty laugh.

"Well, you can ask him that in a bit because you two are supposed to head to town to pick up Xavier and Baron at the airport. They're back from their trip down south. They found a new wolf who is coming back with them. Braun, I think his name is." She turned when she realized Drew wasn't next to her. He stood in place with a scowl.

"Why do I have to go? Why can't someone else go?" He complained, resuming his steps.

"Because, my dear, your truck is the only one big enough for the load and you won't let anyone else drive it. Plus, Finn could end up at a crossroads before he even makes it to the airport without someone strong near him, connecting him to the pack." They made it back to the village and stopped by Becky and Finn's. Drew dropped the cooler next to the firepit, sniffing at the large cauldron-esque pot hanging over the fire that was burning strong. He sighed.

"Alright. I'll be back. Miss me while I'm gone?" He took Willow's hands, kissing her knuckles and giving her sad puppy eyes.

"Only a little." She teased. They shared a kiss before the front door to the house opened. Finn waved before following Drew to the garage. Becky smiled and stirred the soup that was currently only full of vegatables. "Haddock, as requested." Willow said, tapping the side of the cooler with her foot.

"Thanks, Lass." Becky opened the cooler and yanked the first fish from the ice by the tail. She flopped it on the large cutting block next to the fire and whacked it's head off with a butcher knife she pulled from thin air. "Lend a hand?" She asked with a grin as Willow flicked a piece of fish guts off her shoulder.

"Love to. But it's sunset."

"Ah. Time to wake Bat Boy." Becky teased. Willow winked at her friend, a mishcevious grin on her face before heading towards a small, windowless stone cottage.


	3. Chap 2: The Warlock Awakens

Aleister groaned, raising an arm to cover his eyes from the sudden brilliant white light. His ears were ringing, his side felt like it was on fire, and his mouth was as dry as a desert.

"There we go." A shrill giggle startled him. The light was dimmed and Aleister slowly worked to open his eyes which felt crusted shut. He rubbed at them roughly before blinking a few times, adjusting to the natural light. He realized he was in a room on a bed and there were several people standing around the foot of his bed, watching him. The small, blond in a colorful doctor's coat held up her penlight, shining it in his eyes again. "Welcome back to reality." She joked, ignoring the confused look Aleister gave her. She reached over and touched his injured side causing him to hiss in pain. He leapt from the bed, backing into the empty corner of the room. He noted to himself that he wasn't wearing his clothes but thankfully, someone had dressed him in grey sweatpants.

"**_Flamma!_**" He called, a fireball growing in his hand. The four people by the bed jumped back. The black-haired guy, tucked the little blond behind him and produced a fireball of his own as he growled like a wild animal. Aleister raised his hand, a warning to the brute not to try anything. The short black woman and another big long-haired man growled fiercely, their chests heaving.

"**_Extinctus!_**" Suddenly, both men's fireballs popped out of exsistence. Aleister looked at his hand in shock before snapping his head in the direction the command came. Sitting in the only chair in the room was a woman with flowing dark hair, watching him with brilliant hazel eyes. "It's okay," She said gently, a stark contrast from the tone she had used to expel the flames. "You're safe here." She soothed as she slowly got to her feet, careful not to make any sudden movements. Aleister felt his body relax slightly, moving out of the defensive stance he had taken. It felt normal for his body to react this way to the woman though he had no idea who she was. "My name is Willow. That's Alexa, Roman, Drew, and Ember. We're not here to hurt you. I found you on our beach, unconscious. Were you in a shipwreck?" Aleister scrunched his nose, trying to remember what happened. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed.

"Yes. The ship was caught in a maelstrom during a storm. Did anyone else survive?" He gruffed, his voice hoarse from the events of the last few days. He saw Willow motion to Ember. He turned to the dark-skinned woman with fiery hair and watched her closely as she slowly reached into a mini-fridge on the counter behind her and pulled out a bottle of water. She carefully held it out to him. Aleister, although still apprehensive, gently took the bottle from her with a small nod of thanks. He took a small sip, turning his attention back to the one that seemed to be in charge.

"No, there were none. Atleast, none in our area. They might've made it to land elsewhere. They might be on the Isles of Shoals. We could take you to look there once you're better." Aleister racked his brain trying to think where that was.

"Where am I?"

"Ship's Haven, Maine." Willow declared, giving Aleister a small smile. "May we know your name?" Aleister felt the urge to laugh softly at the amused look that danced in her eyes but he settled for a crooked grin instead.

"Aleister." He introduced, tipping an imaginary hat earning a giggle from Willow. "Thank you for saving my life. I'm grateful." He turned to the rest of the group. "And I'm sorry for the fireball." The biggest one shrugged his shoulders and spoke with a thick Scottish accent.

"Aye, no big deal. We get it."

"Guys, how about we give him some room, yeah?" Willow suggested, though Aleister suspected it was less request, more command. "Rome, will you take Corey and Edge and visit Dream? See if he's forseen anything or whatever the fuck?" Roman chuckled before agreeing to the task. He turned and kissed the blond roughly then exited the room. Alexa swooned, fanning herself. "Drew, can you find Bex? Get some of last night's soup from her. Aleister must be starving." She saw him confirm this with a curt nod.

"On it. I'll send her over. I'm taking Seth and Ricochet on a quick supply run."

"Bring me back some French Toast Crunch! You heathens finished my last box!" She called as Drew disappeared out the door, biting her bottom lip at the sound of his devilish laugh. Aleister took the moment to look over Willow. She had on ripped jeans, hiking boots, and a green flannel shirt. To Aleister, she looked like a hot lumberjack.

"Aleister, may I examine your wound? I need to make sure you didn't rip the stitches out when you got up." Alexa asked sweetly as she pulled some rubber gloves on. He nodded, slowly raising his arm out of her way. He looked around the room. Ember was opening and closing cabinets full of medical supplies, grabbing things she needed and gathering them on a hospital tray table. Willow was tapping away at her phone, texting if he had to guess. Alexa peeled back the large gauze dressing taped to his side. "Excellent, my stitches held. Told you the crossways worked better." She taunted Ember over her shoulder. Ember rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but they'll probably leave a nasty scar unlike if you'd done them the way I told you to."

"They won't scar that bad. I made my mom's Boo-Boo Cream to minimize the scarring."

"Boo-Boo Cream?" Aleister asked, bemused.

"It's what she always called it when I was little. It's just a bunch of herbs and root extracts mashed together and blended with some... other stuff. Makes a paste." He raised an eyebrow at the last bit.

"Don't ask," Willow said with a cringe. "Just know that it works. The scar won't be raised or as glaringly prominent as it would be if you let it heal without it."

"Ah. Okay." Willow went and spoke quietly to Ember, the pair nodding in agreeance to something before Willow turned to leave. "Wait!" Aleister shouted, sounding more needy than he meant. "Wh-where are you going?"

"I mean, nowhere in particular right yet. Do you want me to stay a little longer?"

"Please." He watched her bite her bottom lip, sharing a glance with Ember.

"Okay. I can hang out." She smiled at the relieved sigh Aleister gave and returned to the chair she'd been in for most of the twenty-four hours he'd been out cold. Not that Aleister knew, or atleast she thought he didn't know.

"I take it I'm not in an actual hospital." Aleister waved a finger around to emphasis his comment.

"No, this is our medical hut." Aleister quirked an eyebrow. "Don't worry, we're not that primitive. If you had needed more care than we could provide, we would've taken you to the hospital in town. But we thought it best to keep you here. Not sure how we would've explained a random stranger washed up on our beach with a giant wound in his side. Especially given that stranger is a Warlock and not a simple pirate." Aleister scoffed.

"A pirate? No, not a pirate."

"Could be worse, Roman thought you were a merman." Alexa laughed out, snorting at the silliness.

"Seriously?" Aleister shook his head. "How did you know what I am? I mean, before the whole fireball thing."

"Your tattoos. You have barrier spells on them. Lexi couldn't stitch you up until we disarmed them. Don't worry," Willow held a hand up when Aleister's eyes bulged. "We put them back on. Whatever cut you had to have been wicked powerful, magically enhanced far more than anything we have to be able to do that to you with those barriers in place."

"There's only one thing I know for sure has enough magick in it to do something like that." Ember stated, bringing Lexi fresh bandages.

"Undertaker's Scythe." Willow whispered, a bone-chilling tingle running down her spine. Aleister caught the scared, questioning look Willow sent his way but he tried to pretend like he hadn't noticed, remaining silent and focusing his eyes anywhere else.

As Alexa finished redressing Aleister's cut, Becky popped in with a large thermas of soup, passing it to Ember. She tossed a backpack on the bed by Aleister's feet as he gingerly sat back down.

"Hi! I'm Becky." She greeted cheerily. "That's my soup and that's some clothes that should fit ya." Before Aleister could even raise his arm to wave, Becky left, leaving him confused.

"Don't mind her, we had a birthday party today and she ate a dozen cupcakes." Willow explained, getting up from her chair with a stretch. "Try to eat a little soup, see if any of the clothes fit you."

"There's a shower stall in the bathroom across the hall. You can wash your hair if you need to. You should wait another day or so before you bathe for the sake of your stitches. You're welcome to give yourself a sponge bath though, just keep the bandages as dry as you can." Alexa instructed with a bright smile. Her phone went off in her pocket so she turned to leave the room, answering as she went. "Hey, baby..." Ember set the thermas on the tray table and pushed it over Aleister's lap.

"Remote for the tv is on the side table." She stated before, she too, left. Aleister looked to Willow.

"Leaving me, too?" He quipped. Willow scoffed, smirking.

"I have some tree clearing to sort out. If you're up for it later, come find me. I'll show you around, maybe you can tell me where on Earth you came from."

"Okay." Aleister agreed. He dug into his soup. "Holy fuck, that's good." He exclaimed.

"Fish stew with Haddock I caught from the same ocean you washed ashore from."

"You grow the vegatables, too?" He teased, noting a rustic charm seemed to be a theme here. Willow chuckled.

"No, those came from the Farmer's Market on the other side of town. The stock came from the grocery store." She winked before leaving him to his meal.

A couple hours later, Aleister was full, clean, and in some new clothes. A simple black cut-off t-shirt with some worn-out illegible logo on it, dark jeans, and tennis shoes as well as some thankfully brand new, unworn underwear and socks. He walked out of the small medical hut and took in the sight. It honestly looked like something out of a fantasy novel regular humans wrote when they tried to imagine a world with magick beings. That is until, his eyes fell upon a four-wheeler or solar panels. There were several wooden or stone houses built throughout a portion of the woods where, he presumed, they'd made a clearing. Some had flower gardens, some had rocking chairs, one in particular was home to someone with a fondness for windchimes. There was one building without a fourth wall. Aleister wandered closer to discover it had a handpainted sign above the opening declaring it the "mess hall". He saw several tables of varying sizes scattered around the open space with mismatched chairs around them. Behind all that, he could see a kitchen counter spanning the length of the back wall with the usual kitchen amenities and appliances. Aleister had to chuckle at the sight.

As Aleister continued to look for Willow, he noticed the different people. He could sense witches and warlocks, werewolves, and vampires. There were even a couple humans he realized, not a whiff of magick in them. *_Strange._* He thought. *_Humans living with witches, I understand. But, there are werewolves and vampires about. Surely there must be tensions._* As he contemplated this, he saw one such human exiting a cabin. The man was a few inches shorter than he with shaggy dark brown hair and a short beard. He carried a box over to a woman with shoulder-length wavy blond hair. There was something off about her aura, he couldn't quite make it out. He watched the pair exchange smiles and kisses before a movement from the corner of his eye had him turning. *_Wolf._* The man was bald with a long, scraggly salt and peppered beard. He seemed to be glaring as he stalked towards the happy couple. Aleister felt a twinge of nervous energy and summoned a small flame in his hand, preparing to hurl it should the wolf attack.

"No need for that." Aleister jumped, his flame going out as Willow appeared beside him. She laughed playfully at him, wiping her arm across her forehead. She looked even more like a lumberjack now. Her flannel was tied by the sleeves around her waist, revealing a black tank top and her hair was up in a messy bun. The axe she had resting over one shoulder was the cherry on top. Surpressing the sensations he was feeling at the sight of her, Aleister cleared his throat and turned back to the trio.

"Your humans are safe among the wolves?" He asked.

"Very much so," Willow said as they witnessed the bald wolf kiss the pair full on their lips. "Johnny and Candace came to us a couple years ago. Tommy showed up last year, a lone wolf hitch hiking his way north. Got stuck here when he imprinted on Candace and she refused to leave Johnny or her home." Willow smiled, watching the three lovers laugh and play as the boys kept messing up the party supplies Candace was trying to put away in the box.

"So Candace is a wolf? That wasn't the sense I got."

"Hybrid. Half witch, half wolf."

"Well, that explains that." Aleister mused. "But if Tommy imprinted with Candace, where does Johnny fit in?"

"Usually between Candace and Tommy." Willow stated, keeping a straight face while what she said sunk in. Aleister's eyes bugged as he turned to her.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Candace and Johnny were already in love. Hers and Tommy's imprint wouldn't change that. As far as John and Tom, I guess there's some kinds of love that just don't need an imprint or an explanation. I don't know. It's not unusual around here." She gestured across the open space. "The beautiful thing about being a hybrid, your view of love is different than others, it's expanded. There is the chance of bonding with multiple mates."

"I'd only ever read about hybrids. They are particularly rare where I'm from." Aleister mumbled as he watched in fascination at what he saw.

"My brother is wolf and warlock. Lexi is a pixie witch. They've pretty much been together since grade school. We always thought he was straight until..." Willow let her voice trail off as they watched Roman giving Alexa a piggy back ride when someone sprang infront of them. Ric (who had earned the nickname Ricochet for his high energy acrobatics and parkour skills), contrary to Roman's luxurious long black locks, was bald. Though he did have a perfectly trimmed beard as dark as Roman's and mocha tan skin. Roman greeted the younger, smaller- though leaner and more defined- wolf with a bright smile and passionate kiss.

"So they are all in love, too, yes?" Aleister questioned, turning from the new trio as Roman had wrapped his arm around Ric's waist, leading his two loves to their home.

"No, actually." Willow shrugged at Aleister's loss of understanding. "While Ric and Lexi love each other, they are not IN love with each other, only Roman. It took a lot of time, a lot of curses, and a lot of hex bag destroying before Lex accepted that just because her man imprinted on another man didn't mean he loved her any less." She gestured for Aleister to accompany her as she began walking towards the largest structure they had. Turns out, it was a garage and workshop. Willow put her axe away and washed her hands in a large slop sink while they talked.

"So you're a hybrid too. Witch and Wolf. The big Scottish wolf is your mate, right?" Aleister determined, gingerly sitting on a bar stool next to a work bench. Willow made a face, tilting her hand back and forth.

"Eh, you're two-thirds right." She tossed the towel she was drying her hands with in a bin next to the sink before leaning her butt against the table opposite Aleister. "Drew is my mate and he is a wolf, yes. And I AM part wolf, part witch. But, I'm a bit of a special case. Have you ever heard of a tri-breed?"

"No. Really?" Aleister asked in disbelief. "You're lying. Those are stuff of legends. It's said to be impossible for one to exist." Aleister scoffed, his atittude skeptical at best.

"It's said to be impossible to _intentionally_ create a tri-breed. Possible to create one without trying. Be it by accident or, in my case, a traumatic event." She looked down at the concrete floor, scuffing a boot.

"Oh." Aleister said softly. "I'm sorry. You don't have to explain yourself to me. You barely know me. I'm sorry. I believe you. It's just... wow."

"It's okay. A story for another time." She sniffed before clearing her throat. "But, for my third-"

"Please, don't tell me you're part mermaid too?" Aleister questioned causing Willow to throw her head back and laugh.

"Oh hell no. Oh, I'd shoot a cocktail of wolfsbane and other nasties if I was part fish." Aleister chuckled. "No. I am part vampyre as well." She said somberly, baring her teeth for him. Her canines on top and bottom stretched into fangs. After giving him a few seconds to look, she retracted her fangs.

"Is that why you're the leader here?"

"What makes you think I'm the leader?"

"You're the only tri-breed. And I'm guessing you're an alpha wolf." Aleister shrugged.

"Valid points. But I don't consider myself a leader. Rome, Lex, and I traveled a lot. After a while, more magick beings trickled in, joining us. Lost boys. But too many issues draws a lot of unwanted attention. So, we constantly found new places, trying to find somewhere we might be able to call home for an extended period. We came here and instead of moving in town, we picked this spot. We warded the area from being detected and we built Avalon."

"Avalon?"

"Yeah. The place needed a name. In the King Arthur legends, Avalon was sort of his sanctuary, where he was taken to heal from his wounds. Some say he died there, some say he lives. Either way, it's a powerful and magickal place. A safe place."

"That's really poetic. And sweet." Aleister grinned lightly. The pair locked eyes, just gazing. They were lost in each other until a loud clattering startled them. They looked in the direction the sound came from to see someone standing by one of the vehicles, a car jack tipped on it's side.

"Oh! Hey!" Willow greeted the man. "Didn't see you with Drew and Ric. Where'd you disappear to?" The man, fairly muscular with frizzy dark hair in a sloppy bun, full beard, and wearing skinny jeans and black button up, strode up to the pair. He cast a sideways glance at Aleister before pressing his lips roughly to Willow's, gripping the back of her neck in one hand. Willow squeaked into the kiss, surprised by the sudden act. She placed a hand on his chest and nudged him back, clearing her throat. "Hello to you, too." She teased before gesturing to Aleister. "This is Aleister. The one I found on the beach yesterday. Aleister, this is Seth." Aleister extended his hand, his friendly smile faltering when it took Seth more than a few seconds to take his hand. After one firm shake, Seth withdrew and turned back to Willow.

"Wolfie mentioned he finally woke up." He said, paying the man in question no mind. "It's our turn to set up for the meeting. Drew is waiting for us at the fire pit, he doesn't want to get stuck doing it all himself like last time since we were busy." Sexual tension grew thick in the air, Aleister knew what Seth had been elluding to the pair doing.

"Shit. Right, sorry. After I helped X with that dead tree, I was showing Aleister around." Willow gave Aleister an awkward apologetic look as Seth had begun slowly peppering soft kisses on her neck and shoulder, his hands on her waist, body pressed close. "You didn't answer my question, ya know." She said in teasing tones as she cupped Seth's face, pulling it away from her skin and looking in his eyes.

"Brought Ember the med supplies. She roped me into helping her do a fresh inventory count." He growled lightly, his disdain for the task evident. Willow gave his beard a scratch before moving, making Seth step back. She turned to Aleister.

"You are more than welcome to stay in the room in the med hut as long as you need. Or we can find something else if you'd like."

"I shouldn't impose on you. I can find somewhere to go. You've already been more than generous." Aleister said as he stood, following the pair outside.

"Nonsense! Besides, we found you with no I.D., no cash, no cards, nothing. The only other free accomodations you'll find is the homeless shelter in town and they currently have a bed bug outbreak. Please stay. I said we'd help you look for others and we will. Plus, Lexi will want to keep an eye on those stitches. You're one of us for as long as you'd like." She gave him a smile that warmed his heart.

"Thank you. I appreciate that. I'll- I guess I'll see you in the morning." Aleister shoved his hands in his pockets, a somewhat shy action.

"Good. We usually have breakfast in the mess hall between seven and eight. I'm making my special Bananas Foster Stuffed French Toast so come hungry."


	4. Chap 3: Fireflies and Demons

Sitting on leveled off tree stumps like they're stools, the "Village Elders"- as they jokingly referred to themselves as- circled around the fire pit they used for "Council Meetings". Five minutes past total darkness was the agreed upon time when meetings were called. Willow closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She loved the smell of the fire especially when pine needle-filled branches were used as kindling. She opened her eyes, glancing at everyone around the circle. Seth to her left, then Finn, Becky, Adam (Edge), Corey, Alexa, and Roman on her right. She looked down at the massive wolf curled around her stump and legs. She ran her hand through Drew's dark fur, giving him a loving scratch by his right ear. She ran a finger softly over the jagged scar it held, a small reminder of the much larger scar hidden under the fur down his side and his willingness to jump infront of danger to protect her. He gave her hand a little lick, letting out a whine. He perked his ears up, now vigilant in his task to listen for eavesdroppers.

"So, what did Dream have to say?" Willow asked, looking to her brother.

"Not a whole hell of a lot that made any sense."

"What do you expect from a guy who lives in a cave, alone, in a mountain, and calls himself the Velveteen Dream?" Corey scoffed. A ripple of laughter rounded the fire.

"He hinted that Aleister is likely the only one that survived the wreck. And that the maelstrom wasn't a natural occurance."

"Well, that much we could come up with ourselves." Willow sighed. "That storm. That storm was just as unnatural. We watched it come out of nowhere. It was supposed to be clear skies for miles and then suddenly there's thunderheads and lightning and shit."

"That had to be some seriously bad juju to create such a strong storm and keep it concentrated, too." Roman said, shaking his head.

"Aleister had to have been the target." Willow sighed.

"He could just as easily have been the one to cause it." Seth shot. Clearly, he had a dislike for their guest and he wasn't afraid to make that known.

"Seth, sweetheart," Willow cooed, reaching for his hand. "Jealousy doesn't become you." She told him sweetly. Corey and Edge giggled, trying to cover their mouths. Seth glared at them.

"Will's right," Alexa said. "I mean, about Aleister. Though she's right about the other thing, too." Edge and Corey erupted in more giggles along with Finn and Becky. Roman cleared his throat loudly, giving the four childish ones a hard stare. They shut up. Alexa cast a sidelong look to Willow who shook her head almost imperceptibly. Unfortunately, Roman saw the exchange.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing!" His sister was quick to declare, not giving Alexa a chance to respond.

"No, what? Lexi, baby, what's going on?" Roman turned to his woman. She sucked her bottom lip in her mouth, uncomfortable and scared. "Talk to me. Don't look at Will. Look at me."

"Well, you know that gash on Aleister?" She asked quietly. Roman nodded. "Well, uhm, after you went to see Dream, I was checking on it and we were all talking. Aleister's body is, like, 90% tattoo and they all have protection wards worked into them."

"So?" Edge asked, not following.

"So nothing should have been able to even give him a paper cut. It took both mine and Will's power combined to bring them down enough for me to stitch him up. It can't be a coincidence that a warlock as powerful as that just happen to get stuck in a storm. And..." Alexa looked down at her feet, kicking a small rock. "Well, Ember made a comment that there's only one thing she knows that could be strong enough to get through those kinds of spells and wards."

The Earth stopped moving, or so it felt, as what the little pixie witch had said. A mountain rumbling howl broke through the silence as Drew was the first to get the meaning. He was up on his feet in an instant, nuzzling his head under Willow's chin, pawing at her arms until she wrapped them around his neck, stroking his back. Seth growled low in his throat, getting to his feet and pacing back and forth behind Willow. Roman balled his fists, his knuckles turning white as Alexa tried to calm him. The others exchanged looks of knowing and fear.

"I fucking knew that Warlock was involved!" Seethed Seth.

"Involved how? The guy had a slash in his side so deep, we could practically see his spine!" Willow yelled, eyes reflecting the fire in the pit with fury. "He could've died before he made it ashore! How could he be involved?"

"I don't know! I just know he is!" Seth spat at her.

"Like you knew Finn was?" Willow shot back. "Or how about Candace and Johnny? What about Dean, who you insisted we interrogate simply because he was human."

"Those were different." Seth replied, some anger replaced with embarrassment.

"And what about you?" The whisper didn't make it further than Seth's ears. He deflated, feeling his guilt for the past push down like a brick on his heart. The pair stared at each other. Pain, hurt, hate, love, shame, forgiveness. Emotions flashing across their features.

Suddenly, Drew's hackles raised. He growled, pulling away from Willow to face towards the path to the mountain. Seth turned his head to see where Drew's attention was and glowered, moving to stand on Willow's other side. Everyone else rushed to that side of the fire as Bray Wyatt stalked into the light. He dragged something, or rather someone, by their blue hair and heaved them forward. The body rolled along the leaf littered grass before stopping with a grunt, slamming against the stones of the fire pit. The woman groaned, struggling to a seated position. Her hands were bound in holy water soaked rope, a silver chain wrapped around her head, stretched in her mouth like a gag. She pushed some hair from her face before fixing cold eyes on her audience.

"Sasha." Seth growled. She tried to muster a flirty grin, winking and waggling her fingers at him. She mumbled something. Probably egging Seth on, hard to tell with the thick chain holding her mouth open unnaturally.

"Found a little firefly in town. Found her snooping where she shouldn't be." Bray spoke softly in his overly cheery voice. He giggled, casually taking a seat on one of the now unoccupied stumps. "She was looking for someone." He whispered, the odd smile dropping from his face, a blank stare now in its place. "I told her I could show her where they were. Made her think I wanted to be back in His good graces. Silly little blue firefly." He stroked Sasha's hair causing her to jerk away, flipping him off. He giggled maniacally, looking up at Willow. "May I keep her when you are done with her? The Firefly Funhouse always has room for more friends."

"Sure, Bray." Willow nodded slowly, always feeling uneasy around the certifiable nutty demon. "Can you remove the chain so we can speak with her?" He nodded emphatically and pried the chain from her mouth, dropping it around her neck. Sasha worked her jaw around, wiping the blood from the corners of her mouth where the chain had dug in.

"Sup?" Sasha greeted, acting nonchalant.

"Who were you looking for?" Willow asked, slowly moving around the fire to better see Sasha. The bound vampyre tore her eyes from her former lover and looked up at his mate.

"Nunya."

"Real mature." Willow rolled her eyes. Sasha grinned, shrugging.

"Doesn't matter now. I found the real one he wants." Her smile turned vile. "He'll be so pleased with me when I bring home his grand prize." She cackled.

"What gives you the idea you've won?" Roman spoke up. "In case you didn't notice, you're alone and tied up."

"What makes you think I came alone?" Sasha mocked. A sickening sound echoed from the darkness around them, a sound that could only be described as a madman's laughter. Then... the singing.

"You'll fade away and classify yourself as obsolete!"

"OBSOLETE! Yeeeessssssss." Emerging from the trees, Willow and her group were surrounded by a dozen nameless demons with eyes as black and brilliant as obsidian, now standing as still as statues and awaiting commands. Willow quickly returned to the other side of the fire, directing her family to go back to back. She noticed Bray hadn't moved from where he was. She prayed he was just Bray being Bray and not turning his back on the one who saved him from his eternal suffering. With a sudden loud bang, two more demons materialized into their sacred space, standing just behind Bray who finally made a move, turning to look over his shoulder. "Bray! Brother! I knew you'd come!"

The demon speaking wore a Victorian era long coat, his mane of skunk striped hair frizzed out and wild as if he'd stuck a fork in an electrical outlet. He smiled sadistically, gnashing his teeth together. The one beside him, his brother, rubbed his hands together still softly singing his song. His eyes milky and glazed over as he bobbed back and forth in rythym with his words. Bray slowly stood up, facing them, hand still gripping the chain that held Sasha.

"Matthew." He said tenderly. "Brother Nero. It has been some time." The trio stared at each other, seemingly speaking without any words spoken.

"Uh, guys. A little help here? You can suck each other's dicks later." Sasha said, clearly annoyed. She held her bound hands up. "Anytime now."

"Bray." Finn spoke up, stepping from the back of the pack towards his friend. The larger demon turned, giving Finn his undivided attention and his back to the enemy. "What are ya doin'? Please don't do what I think ya doin'. Don't go back to them." He cautiously moved closer, hands up in front of himself.

"Why not, Mr. Balor?" Bray asked, sounding like a small child.

"Remember what they did to ya? The countless years of torture? The sick games? All for their amusement."

"It wasn't all bad," Bray shrugged, shuffling his feet in the dirt. "If I did what they wanted without fuss, I was rewarded. My fireflies." He said excitedly. He smiled back at Matthew who nodded his head, encouraging Bray to come to him.

"But, Bray, buddy," Finn carefully reached a hand out, softly holding Bray's elbow and pulling his attention back to him. "What happened to your fireflies when you didn't do what they wanted?" Bray's childlike wonder faded as he remembered. He stared blankly into the fire, a single tear rolling down his cheek. When he spoke again, gone was the cheerful tones. Replaced with rough, hate filled grit.

"They took them from me." He growled. "Made me watch as they committed unspeakable acts to them before beheading them."

"That's right," Finn said, sympathetically. "But I'd never do that to you, would I?" Bray shook his head. "No. That's right. I'm your friend, aren't I? I got you out of that place and brought you here. And you've been happy, yeah? You have your fireflies and none of us would let anything bad happen to them because we know how much you love them." Bray looked Finn in the eyes with a sad smile.

"Best friend." He squeaked out. He sniffled, rubbing his face and shaking his head before looking at everyone else. "Family." Low growls of protest came from the two wretched creatures behind him, realizing they would probably not be bringing home their favorite pet. Bray's face hardened, a look of determination as he dropped Sasha's chain. "No one hurts my family. No one will take my fireflies from me again." With lightning speed, Bray hurled himself at his former captors, a gutteral cry parting his lips.

And just like that, all proverbial Hell broke loose.


End file.
